How do open adoptions work

Consumers may still harbor the goal of achieving the American dream, but that road is increasingly lined with fees -- for everything from taking out a student loan to opening a banking account. How America transformed into a country where consumers' annual spending on loans and fees is as much as the government budgets of Canada and Mexico combined is examined in "Land of the Fee: Hidden Costs and the Decline of the American Middle Class," by Devin Fergus, professor of history, black studies and public affairs at the University of Missouri. The book, due out on July 16 from Oxford University Press, comes as lawmakers push for greater financial deregulation and President Donald Trump boasts that his administration has eliminated 22 rules for every new regulation introduced. "Land of the Fee" investigates how today's fee-heavy economy owes its existence to a deregulatory push that began in the 1970s -- with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle giving green lights to … [Read more...] about How America became “The Land of the Fee”

We're saying, let's get back to what the focus is, let’s go after the people who are a threat to this country in a different way than what we’re doing right now. You need to work within communities to get intelligence. ICE has such a bad reputation, and if you’re afraid you’re going to be deported no one is going to talk to them. They're not able to get the things done that we need them to get done. It sounds like you're describing a branding problem almost as much as a policy problem. A part of your policy is the brand. If you can't get information by working with certain communities because they think you may be deporting them, you’re not getting information that could help you go after someone who really is a threat to this country — and we all want to go after that threat. The way it’s been used by this president has unfortunately made them ineffective. ICE was extremely controversial under President Obama as well. Can ICE be reformed … [Read more...] about This congressman wants to ‘abolish ICE.’ We asked him how it would work.

Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Politics Subscribe Log In Subscribe Log In Advertisement Supported by BySydney Ember and Astead W. Herndon June 29, 2018 Abolish ICE! That was the seemingly radical message that Chardo Richardson, a House candidate in Florida, published in an online statement four months ago, endorsing a call to eliminate the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. “Immigrants are some of the most courageous and industrious people humanity has to offer,” he wrote in an introduction to the immigration platform of Brand New Congress, a grass-roots progressive organization. “We can only benefit from their presence.” To that point, the idea had largely been passed around on social media, and among political candidates, Mr. Richardson was something of a lonely voice. But in the months since — as startling images emerged from the border of migrant children separated from … [Read more...] about How ‘Abolish ICE’ Went From Social Media to Progressive Candidates’ Rallying Cry

Tony Romm, The Washington Post Published 2:23 pm, Thursday, June 28, 2018 California lawmakers on Thursday adopted sweeping new rules that restrict the data-harvesting practices of Amazon.com, Facebook, Google and Uber, a move that soon could spur other states, and even the U.S. Congress, to take aim at the tech industry. The so-called California Data Privacy Protection Act is one of the toughest U.S. regulations targeting Silicon Valley, where a series of recent privacy mishaps - many involving Facebook - have left consumers clamoring for greater protections online. The proposal would require tech giants to disclose the kind of data they collect about consumers, and it allows web users to opt out of having their information sold to third parties, including advertisers. The new privacy rules only apply to residents in the Golden State, and they won't take effect until 2020, opening the door for corporate critics like AT&T, Comcast, Facebook and Google to resume … [Read more...] about California lawmakers just adopted tough new privacy rules targeting Facebook, Google and other tech giants

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Davion Only-Going was in and out of foster homes for 17-years, until a dedicated caseworker named Connie Going, adopted him, giving him the stability he needed to chase his dreams.On Thursday, at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida, Only-Going got his diploma from MycroSchool Pinellas with 56 of his peers."I am in a good position right now and I can chase my dreams like I wanted to," Only-Going said. "I had the drive -- and he [God] knew I had the drive -- and he wanted me to be successful so he was like, '[I] am not going to put you through any more struggle.’"Related: St. Petersburg orphan Davion Only pleads for a familyThe first 17-years of Only-Going’s life weren’t easy. His mother gave birth to him while she was incarcerated. Only-Going was in 20 different foster homes and bounced from school to school. He was fed up and exhausted.ABC Action News has reported on Only-Going’s journey since 2013. … [Read more...] about From orphan to high school graduate, St. Pete teen adopted by his caseworker gets H.S. diploma